Suspect in Arson Fire Commits Suicide
By Susan Motander
An apparent arson fire in Monrovia led to the serious injury of Arcadia Fire captain, Thomas Devlin and a family tragedy. The early morning fire on the day after Christmas is believed to have been caused by a relative of the owner of the business that burned. The suspect committed suicide before police were able to speak with the 25-year-old.
According to Monrovia Police Chief Jim Hunt, the owner of the business identified a family member as a possible suspect. Before investigators were able to contact the suspect at his residence in Glendale, the suspect’s grandmother contacted the Glendale police department to report his suicide.
The three-alarm fire was first reported at 2:41 a.m. on the morning of Dec. 26th according to Monrovia Fire Chief Chris Donovan. Monrovia Engine 101 reached the scene at 335 W. Chestnut Avenue by 2:45 a.m. and called for additional help. Ultimately, 50 firefighters were involved in fighting the commercial fire.
Donovan said that the first units at the fire attempted to fight the fire within the building, but quickly had to switch to a “defensive” strategy with aerial streams to contain the fire to the original structure.
Assistance came from Arcadia, Pasadena, San Marino, San Gabriel, South Pasadena, Alhambra, Burbank, Glendale, and Los Angeles, County Fire Departments. The building and its contents are deemed to be a total loss, Donovan said.
Donovan explained that the injuries to the Arcadia captain occurred when there was a partial collapse of the building near a commercial roll-up door. Captain Devlin’s helmet was knocked off and embers fell onto his neck and head.
Devlin was transported first to Arcadia Methodist Hospital where he was diagnosed with second and third degree burns to the back of his neck, head and face. Now at the Grossman Burn Center, the injured firefighter “will be facing surgeries and probably treatment in a hyperbolic chamber,” Chief Donovan said.
Workers at the businesses in the neighborhood of the commercial building involved in the fire assisted the owner of the building by moving other cars that were associated with the property. These vehicles were not in the building at the time of the fire and were therefore not destroyed.
The owner of one of the businesses indicated that from the surveillance tapes from his business, the suspect seemed to have moved some of the vintage vehicles that had been stored in the building that burned. Declining to be identified for this story, this businessman said the vehicles removed were those that belonged to members of the family other than the owner of the business. Only those of the owner seemed to have been destroyed by the fire he reported.
Authorities have not released the identity of the deceased suspect and at this time no other suspect has been named and it is not clear if the suspect acted alone. Anyone with further information on this matter is asked to contact Monrovia police detectives at (626) 256-8000.
Arcadia fire officials request that any get well wishes for Capt. Devlin be sent to his via their main station, 710 S. Santa Anita Ave.
